POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Dutchess County Democratic elections commissioner is seeking a hearing for criminal and civil contempt charges against her Republican counterpart.

In a release issued Monday, Democratic Elections Commissioner Fran Knapp stated she is seeking a finding of contempt of court against Republican Elections Commissioner Erik Haight for failing to obey a New York State Supreme Court ruling.

Knapp claims Haight has ignored the details of an April 5 court settlement and "continues to employ efforts to intimidate voters and restrict their right to register to vote."

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The complaint was filed on Knapp's behalf by attorney Kathleen O'Keefe on Nov. 14 and accuses Haight of criminal and civil contempt for violating the April 5 ruling by Supreme Court Judge Robert DiBella, the release stated.

If found guilty Haight faces jail time, criminal fines and civil fines, as well as court and attorney fees, according to the release.

But Haight said as far as he is concerned, the motion of contempt has no merit."The stipulation she is referring to has nothing to do with the memorandum of law attached to this motion of contempt," he said. "It's just Commissioner Knapp looking to create chaos wherever she can and this will get handled just like all her other attempts to distract the public."

Haight said the allegation has "no credibility, no merit at all."

On Election Day, Knapp had accused Republicans of efforts to intimidate and disenfranchise potential voters.

In Northern Dutchess, a number of voters from Bard College were denied the right to vote on machines because they had been deemed inactive by the county Board of Elections. Those voters instead cast their votes on affidavit ballots, which are counted only after being subjected to potential challenges.

Knapp alleged at that time that attorneys for Republican state Sen. Stephen Saland attempted to intimidate prospective voters at the Board of Elections offices, where voters who had been denied the right to vote on machines at their polling place pleaded their case to be allowed to vote before a judge. Haight characterized those allegations as "absolutely false" and said Knapp "twists the truth to suit her purposes."